Support at Home Level 8: Funding, Services and Who It Suits
Level 8 is the top Support at Home classification. The annual budget of $80,137.12 (effective 1 July 2026) is paid as a quarterly budget of roughly $20,034.
Who Support at Home Level 8 Suits
Older Australians with the highest level of care need who choose to remain at home. Typically reserved for participants who would otherwise meet the threshold for permanent residential care.
What Services Level 8 Typically Funds
- Intensive daily personal-care routines, often multiple visits
- Daily clinical-care visits where needed
- Comprehensive domestic, meal, transport and respite support
- Significant assistive technology and home modification commitments
A Level 8 plan funds round-the-clock practical support short of full residential care. Families at this level often combine the highest budget with significant home modifications funded from the assistive technology and home modifications scheme.
What Level 8 Means for Your Money
Level 8 pays an annual budget of $80,137.12, split into four quarterly budgets of about $20,034. Here is how that money actually behaves once the plan is running.
- Care management: about $2,003 of each $20,034 quarterly budget (10%) is set aside to pay your provider to coordinate services. That leaves roughly $18,031 a quarter for hands-on support.
- Rollover: you can carry over the higher of $1,000 or 10% of the quarterly budget (here $2,003) into the next quarter. Anything unspent above that is returned to the system, so an underspend at this level can quietly cost you money.
- Your contribution: Clinical Care is free for everyone. For Independence and Everyday Living services you pay a share of the published rate based on your pension status, with full age pensioners paying the least and self-funded retirees the most. From 1 October 2026, personal care becomes fully government funded.
- Watch the hourly rate: because your contribution is a share of the rate, a provider charging above the published rate means you pay 100% of the gap. On a budget this size, a small rate rise accelerates your burn and can leave you short before quarter end.
Check Whether Level 8 Still Fits
Needs change. If your parent's care plan keeps running short or family is filling more gaps than a year ago, it may be time to review the level.
Frequently Asked Questions
Older Australians with the highest level of care need who choose to remain at home. Typically reserved for participants who would otherwise meet the threshold for permanent residential care.
Support at Home Level 8 provides $80,137.12 per year, effective 1 November 2025. That is paid as a quarterly budget of roughly $20,034, with 10% of each quarter set aside for care management.
Request a support plan review through My Aged Care on 1800 200 422. The Wayly Classification Self-Check helps you decide if a review is worth requesting, and the Wayly Letters & Follow-ups tool drafts the formal letter to send.